Analysis of Zoroastrianism

Zoroastrianism

Zoroastrianism, or Mazdaism, was a major religion in Iran and Transoxania during late antiquity. The prophet Zoroaster (Zarathushtra) preached sometime between the 14th and the 12th centuries B.C.E. or, according to other sources, the 7th and 6th centuries B.C.E. Later, his preachings were adopted by a sacerdotal class known as the magi. The religion's Scriptures, the Avesta, include the Gathas of Zoroaster. Prayers, such as the Ashem Vohu, recited by the laity during daily religious observances, were gathered together into the Khorde Avesta, “shorter Avesta (Jewish Bible, pp. 143-147).”

Ahura Mazda supposedly created six amesha-spentas, “beneficent spiritual beings,” representing aspects of material creation—Ameretat (plants), Haurvatat (water), Spenta Armaiti (earth), Asha Vahishta (fire), Khshathra Vairya (metal), and Vohu Manah (animals)—plus other minor spirits, such as Anahita (fertility) and Verethraghna or Wahram (victory), to assist him. In response, Angra Mainyu produced numerous daevas, or demons, including Azi (avarice), Nasush (pollution), and Asto Vidhatu (death). Because they worshiped Ahura Mazda, Zoroastrians in late antiquity called themselves Mazda-yasni, “Mazdeans”—the designation Zoroastrian is a western one (Boyce, 2007).

History

Zoroastrian sacred history is divided into two periods. The first period is that of creation. Its initial 3,000 years were marked by the first encounter between Ahura Mazda and Angra Mainyu, the genesis of lesser beneficent and malevolent spiritual beings, and an offer of peaceful coexistence in a state of purity. After Angra Mainyu spurned Ahura Mazda's overture of peace, he was temporarily overcome when the lord wisdom chanted the Ahuna Vairya prayer. Another 3,000 years passed while Angra Mainyu lay in a stupor, during which time Ahura Mazda transformed the spiritual creations into corporeal ones. The sphere of the sky was made of stone, enclosing oceans, seven continents, and a firmament with sun, moon, planets, and stars. In the central continent Ahura Mazda placed the first human being—an androgyne named Gayo-Maretan (mortal life)—the primordial bull, and the first plant (Mehr, Pp.69-78. The second period of religious history is the ongoing age, in which good and evil mix together; it will also last 6,000 years.

At its start, Angra Mainyu was aroused from his daze by lesser demons, invaded the world with them, and destroyed Gayo-Maretan, the primordial bull, and the first plant. Humanity arose from the semen of the androgyne, animals and cereals from the body of the first bull, and other plants from the seed of the initial plant. Human history passed, with the rise and fall of legendary dynasties, until the prophet Zoroaster was born in the religious year 8970. According to this sacred history, the era of Zarathushtra was followed by those of the Achaemenians, Parthians, and Sassanians. Thereafter, the Arabs conquered Iran. This conquest, and the reduction of Zoroastrians to the status of a religious minority, was rationalized in terms of a steady increase in evil heralding the final days of existence (Glick & Rachel, Pp.121-136).

Discussion

Zoroastrianism, or Mazdaism, is a religious system understanding the world as a battleground between basic good and evil forces, whose foundation is ascribed to Zoroaster or ...